


Wax and Wane of Relationships

by uofmdragon



Series: Tumblr Prompts - AUs by the Numbers [4]
Category: Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Elementary School, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Middle School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-08
Updated: 2014-09-08
Packaged: 2018-07-22 06:53:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7424440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uofmdragon/pseuds/uofmdragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil's neighbors have just adopted a new child about his age.  Their friendship goes through so many different stages as they grow old.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wax and Wane of Relationships

**Author's Note:**

  * For [isisanubis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/isisanubis/gifts).



> Prompt - Childhood best friends AU

Phil could remember the day that Clinton Francis Barton moved in with Phil’s neighbor, Mr. Fury and Ms. Melinda. It was the first really nice day of spring that fell on a weekend. John had organized a bike ride down to the playground and Phil had...

Phil could remember the day that Clinton Francis Barton moved in with Phil’s neighbor, Mr. Fury and Ms. Melinda. It was the first really nice day of spring that fell on a weekend. John had organized a bike ride down to the playground and Phil had gone along. Phil’s mother had offered to feed John and Jasper and they had arrived just in time to see Mr. Fury’s sleek black car pull up. Mr. Fury and Ms. Melinda had gotten out and waited, before Mr. Fury had opened the passenger door. It had taken some time, but eventually Clint had slid out of the car. 

Clint had stared at Mr. Fury’s house like he’d never seen a house before. Mr. Fury had taken Clint’s hand, while Melinda had grabbed a small duffel bag and together the three had gone inside. Phil had forgotten about it, because he figured that he’d find out about this new mystery child the next day in school. Except, Clint did not go to school with Phil.

The mystery wasn’t solved until a few weeks later when Phil overheard Ms. Melinda when she came over to tea with his mother. They’d been discussing Clint and how he’d scared his mother, because he’d somehow gotten on the roof. Ms. Melinda had said that Clint had a troubled background and was adjusting. His mother had asked about school and Ms. Melinda had said that Clint was going to a special school, but she wanted him to go to a regular school. He just needed some time to catch up.

They’d gotten very quiet and Phil had missed the rest, but that night a theme appeared whenever his mother would read a story. The theme was about people and creatures that couldn’t hear very well and how some used their hands to communicate and some used a device in their ear in order to hear.

It set the stage for when Phil meet met Clint for the first time face to face. Phil had been playing with his Thundercat figures outside, when Clint was suddenly there watching him. Phil had been a good neighbor and asked Clint to play with him, but Clint didn’t respond. Phil offered to let him be the Tygra, but he still didn’t say anything. Phil reluctantly offered his favorite Lion-O, but Clint still didn’t say anything. Phil huffed and asked if Clint wanted to play something else. Phil gave up when Clint didn’t respond and since it was his yard, he kept on playing. He just started telling more of the story. 

The same thing happened the next day when Phil was out playing with his Transformers and the day after that with his Star Wars figures. Phil complained about it to his mother, who just said that Clint could come around when he was ready. So Phil continued with his pattern of playing with his toys in his backyard, except when John or Jasper wanted to do something.

Phil had gotten used to his silent audience that he wasn’t expecting Clint to say anything ever. Which was of course when Clint did, “New.”

Phil blinked, before looking at Clint at. “What’s new?”

“Doll.” Clint pointed at Phil’s hand.

“It’s an action figure,” Phil corrected, before looking down in his hand to find the new GI Joe figure that his father had just sent him, because he’d missed Phil’s first baseball game of the season. Phil’s dad liked to send him things when he missed stuff, it was why Phil had such a large collection. “Yeah, my dad just sent it to me.”

“You got a lot.”

“I’ve offered to share.”

“Don’t know ‘em.”

Phil tilted his head. “You’ve never heard of GI Joe?”

Clint shook his head.

“Thundercats?”

Another head shake.

“He-Man? Transformers?”

“Little bit, not much.”

Phil stood up, and grabbed Clint’s hand. “Then let’s go watch some.” He tugged Clint inside and marched straight up to mother to outline his case. Clint wanted to learn about Phil’s toys and the best way to do that was to learn about the TV shows, so they should be able to stay inside and watch TV to catch Clint up. His mother relented. It was when they were watching TV, sitting next to one another, that Phil noticed the hearing aids on Clint’s ears, and things made sense.

From then on, Clint and Phil became best of friends. Phil learned the best ways to communicate with Clint. Always get his attention first, make sure you’re facing one another when talking. Phil even begged his mom to go to Clint’s signing classes. He completely missed the sigh of relief that his mother, Ms. Melinda, and Mr. Fury let out when he asked that.

They were best of friends. Phil was there to help Clint transition back to a regular classroom that fall. Jasper and John were less than impressed with Phil’s new friend, but Phil didn’t care.

They finished elementary school together and middle school. Freshman year, Phil played soccer and baseball and was on the swim team. While Clint football, basketball, and did archery. Phil was there when Clint met Natasha and spent most of freshman year trailing after her. Phil had his own crush on Aubrey, a cellist in the school symphony.

Sophmore year, Clint and him drifted apart. Too busy to hang with Phil when Natasha finally agreed to date him. That was okay with Phil, because he was seeing Aubrey, though that relationship failed and Phil realized that he really did like guys. He didn’t tell Clint though, because as soon as Clint broke up with Natasha, he was dating Bobbi Morse. 

Junior year flew by and Senior year was pretty much a blur of applications and tests. Phil never actually came out to Clint, but he did start a chapter of the LGBT at the school, so Phil was pretty much out to everyone. Phil was dimly aware that Clint was seeing Jessica Drew, at least he took her to all the formals.

Somehow, Phil and Clint ended up at the same college. They didn’t room together, but they were in the same building. Their friendship was on the road to recovery until Steve Rogers wandered into the picture in their second year. He was handsome and dorky, and everything Phil looked for in a guy. Phil was in love, or at least lust. Phil followed him around, went on group dates with Steve, and his friends. He still hung out with Clint, but it was different. Clint would say that he wanted to talk to Phil, but something would come up and Clint would never say what it was. 

Phil started to notice that Clint was suddenly missing sleeves on his shirts. Since it was still the middle of winter, Phil was concerned. He made a point to tell that Clint and sleeves started reappearing, though it didn’t matter, because Clint started losing his shirts to spills. Phil sent a concerned email to Mr. Fury and Ms. Melinda about Clint’s sudden clumsiness, and Clint disappeared. Phil assumed it was due to Finals, but Clint didn’t stop by over Christmas break. Phil found out why when he spotted Natasha Romanov hanging around Clint when they got back from break. 

Phil grew out of his crush on Steve by the end of the semester, but continued to be friends with him. He also got a position as RA and discovered that Clint was going to take summer classes and move into an apartment with Natasha. Phil was cool with that though he was really lonely all through summer.

The next time he saw Clint was at a Welcome Back Bash at a Frat House and Phil felt his world flip upside down. Not because he’d caught Clint mid-makeout, but because he’d caught Clint mid-makeout with a guy, a handsome African American man. Phil got indignant on Natasha’s behalf, though really he was just hurt, because Clint hadn’t told him he was interested in guys. He’d never mentioned it to Phil, which meant Clint was hiding things from his best friend and cheating on his girlfriend.

Though apparently Natasha wasn’t Clint’s girlfriend, which is what she made clear when she cornered him by dragging him into the girl’s bathroom to talk. Clint and her were horrible romantically together, but they made great friends and Clint needed a friend to talk about how perfect he though Phil was. Phil was kind of confused by that and he tried to leave, but Natasha wouldn’t let him until he agreed to talk to Clint.

Phil tried to put it off, but Natasha cornered him again to remind him of his promise and threaten bodily harm. So he called Clint and apologized. They met for coffee and talked. Clint was bi, he’d figured it out during freshman year. Rhodey was a friend that Clint on occasion would fool around with. 

Phil asked about what Natasha said and Clint blushed as he looked away, because apparently Phil was the reason that Clint figured out he was bi. Phil had been surprised and happy, because Clint was his and…

Oh…

“I think I was more jealous that it wasn’t me than I was at the thought of you cheating on Natasha.” 

Clint looked surprised “Yeah?”

Phil nodded. “I’m single, are you?”

“Yeah.”

“Then we should go on a proper date.”

“Proper date?”

“Dinner and a movie, just us,” Phil offered.

Clint smiled. “Sounds nice.”

It was a nice date, so was the second one and the third.

Their relationship evolved. They were still best friends, but now Phil could touch and kiss with impunity. The sex was amazing and senior year, Phil moved in with Natasha and Clint.

Clint was Clint. While not quite as dorky as Steve. He appreciated Phil’s dorkiness and appealed to it. Phil couldn’t see Steve leaving a Batman figure holding an engagement ring next to Phil’s old GI Joes arranged to spell out ‘Will you marry me?’ in the middle of their bedroom. That was definitely something only Clint would come up with and for some reason Phil was going to marry that him.


End file.
